Mexico Receives 8.9 Million Cruise Passengers as Cozumel Tops 3.7 Million

Mexico Cruise Passenger Arrivals 2026, Digi Mart USA News (Mexico): Mexico recorded the arrival of 8,927,844 cruise passengers during the first nine months of 2026, an increase of 15% compared with the same period a year earlier, according to data released by the federal Secretariat of Tourism (Sectur). Mexican ports logged 2,413 vessel arrivals in that period, a rise of 11.2% over January through September 2025.

Tourism Secretary Josefina Rodríguez Zamora said the growth in cruise traffic creates economic opportunities for port destinations, particularly through local spending on products and services during ship calls.

In the Gulf-Caribbean region, which had the highest passenger volume, ports received 5,926,232 passengers across 1,550 arrivals, increases of 9.7% and 8.8%, respectively. Within that zone, Cozumel was one of the country’s leading cruise destinations, registering 3,715,770 passengers on 995 arrivals, gains of 11.3% in visitors and 9.6% in vessel calls.

Progreso, Yucatán, reported 402,454 cruise passengers on 125 arrivals, with increases of 16.4% and 10.6%, respectively.

The Pacific region posted the sharpest percentage growth, with 3,001,612 cruise passengers and 863 arrivals, increases of 27.1% and 16% compared with 2025. Puerto Chiapas recorded a 90.2% rise in passengers and a 71.4% rise in arrivals.

Mazatlán received 355,474 visitors on 96 ships, up 67.6% in passengers and 43.3% in arrivals. Cabo San Lucas counted 995,896 passengers and 254 arrivals, increases of 44.4% and 40.3%, respectively.

Sectur also reported that the average number of passengers per cruise ship rose from 3,580 in 2025 to 3,700 in 2026, an increase of 3.4%. Rodríguez Zamora said the expansion of the sector extends economic benefits from tourism to host communities through spending on services, commerce, transportation and tourism experiences.

Quintana Roo, and Cozumel in particular, remain strategically important to Mexico’s cruise segment because of the volume of maritime visitors they receive.